Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cathaoirleach and cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

I am raising the case of the Courtown Coast Guard station. The station serves both north County Wexford and south County Wicklow. It is one of the old rocket stations. The Minister of State is the third Minister or Minister of State to deal with a Commencement matter on this issue since I entered the House. Five Ministers and Ministers of State have visited the Courtown Coast Guard station and a range of commitments have been made to the station, none of which has yet been delivered. I appreciate that the Minister of State is taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW and I hope she will have some good news.

When I raised this matter on Thursday, 24 February 2022 with the Minister of State's colleague from Galway, the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, she indicated that six possible sites had been identified and stated: "The OPW has commenced preliminary investigative work on these potential sites and will update us as these investigations progress." She also stated that this project had been prioritised and was "on the building programme priority list". On 23 November 2022, the Minister, Deputy Harris, responded to the matter. He was quite familiar with the issue, given that the station serves part of County Wicklow. He outlined that this was"one of the key priorities" for the OPW, indicated that the OPW was investigating all potential sites and assured me that "OPW officials are giving this project every priority possible at this time". Eleven months ago, the OPW was giving this project every possible priority.

I have been in regular contact with the Minister's office. All sorts of concerns were raised, such as that the county council was not fully on board with the project. The Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, visited Courtown and met Wexford County Council and the Coast Guard. The county council said it was perfectly happy with the preferred options on site. During the summer, I was told that the OPW was looking at five preferred sites, which was a little better than when it looking at six preferred sites 15 months earlier.

The problem I have is that I keep being told by the OPW that this is a priority, that it is on its priority building list and what wonderful work the Coast Guard does. Coming from a coastal constituency like I do, the Minister, Deputy Harris, knows exactly how important the work of the Coast Guard is. However, the reality is that the team members who operate and put their lives at risk at the station in Courtown, continue to operate in a completely unsuitable old Coast Guard station. Sites have been identified and pointed out to the OPW. The Coast Guard wants to see this done as quickly as possible. I hope that, if this has been on the OPW's list, as all the Ministers and Ministers of State have said, and if it is giving this project every priority, as I have been told, that the Minister of State will finally have some good news, not for me, but for the coastal communities of north County Wexford and south County Wicklow.